Administrator’s Letter: Shriner Peak
After a fall hike at Mt. Rainier National Park, I was zooming down the forest road and passed the Shriner Peak sign. It was a must-stop-and-turnaround photo opportunity!
Unfortunately, it was too late in the day to explore the trail —which is 8 miles round trip and approximately 3,500 feet of elevation gain. The summit offers western views of Mt. Rainier and many smaller surrounding peaks. A fire lookout structure is still intact and used during fire season.
Shriner Peak reminds me of our Shriners Children’s Portland accomplishments over the past few years. Just like climbing a mountain, there have been steep trails, unexpected turns, and at times heart-thumping, exhausting efforts in facing the challenges of healthcare and achieving our goals.
Our clinical teams are excellent at caring for the most complex to common pediatric orthopedic conditions. Our support staff never fail to support all types of behind the scenes operations. The Walk-in Fracture and Sports Injury Clinic continues to grow, setting new daily records. International patients from around the world are traveling to Shriners Children’s Portland for the best care anywhere.
With only a couple more months until the close of 2023, I could not be more proud of all the accomplishments of our leaders and employees. Our quality and patient safety rates remain excellent and our volumes are trending strong — higher than in 2022. Finances continue to improve year over year while serving more kids in need of care.
It takes a great team working together to climb tough mountains. The view is looking great from Shriners Children’s Portland. Thanks for being such great climbing partners as we achieve new heights!
Thank you,
Dereesa Reid
Administrator
Walk for Love – Boo at the Zoo
Walk for LOVE 2023 was a huge success!
Despite being a misty morning, the Oregon Zoo was brought to life by the Shriners Children’s Portland community on Saturday, October 21. Participants took part in family-centered activities like the Home Depot craft table, Fezzy’s Wellness Center teddy bear clinic and walked through the zoo, enjoying many animals!
With over 270 participants attending and fundraising — and a special guest appearance from Timber Joey — we raised $35,700 for Shriners Children’s Portland, surpassing our goal of $25,000. Thank you to our staff who participated in this heartwarming event.
A Weekend to Remember in Alaska
Imperial Sir Matt Sturlaugson poses with the 2023 Al Aska Shrine Classic MPV and patient ambassador, Alyssa.
Presenting about common pediatric foot deformities, Heather Kong, M.D. represented Shriners Children’s Portland at the All Alaska Pediatric Symposium on October 27.
High school seniors showed off their skills at the Al Aska Shriners Classic on October 28. The proceeds of this football game support the Al Aska transportation fund, which allows families from Alaska to travel to Portland for care without the burden of cost.
Shriners Children’s Portland staff held an outreach clinic in Anchorage October 28, seeing 49 patients total. Our staff goes to Anchorage for outreach twice a year. Heather Kong, MD; Matt Bernstein, MD and Todd DeWees, CPO had a full day of seeing patients.
Alejandro has been a Shriners Children’s Portland patient for over 14 years. The volunteers and staff at the Anchorage outreach clinic are always delighted to see him roll in!
Halloween Happenings
Shriners Children’s Portland was filled with Halloween spirit on October 31! Staff and volunteers celebrated Halloween with our patients, decked out in costumes and decorations.
- Care Management — Barbie
- Patient Access — Drive-In Movie Theater
- Rehab – Outerspace
2023 DAISY Award Winner
Congratulations to Amy Abreu, our 2023 DAISY Award Winner! The DAISY Award is a recognition program to celebrate and recognize nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers.
Amy is an extraordinary pediatric nurse who has been a part of the Shriners Children’s Portland team for over seven years. Known for her compassionate care, Amy goes above and beyond to make her patients feel comfortable in every situation.
A grateful parent said this about Amy: “Amy is amazing with children, very very caring. She will go out of her way to make her patients and families as comfortable and as confident as possible. I have never met a more compassionate nurse. And obviously she is extremely sweet and kind to her patients and families, always explaining everything, reassuring, and caring. She made all the difference in our son’s recovery.”
Amy is a true leader on the unit: always advocating for patient safety, demonstrating great attention to detail, and teaching others in care delivery — all with her special touch of calmness, kindness and positivity.
Pendleton Clinic
Did you know that we have a team that travels to Pendleton, OR to provide outreach clinics multiple times a year?
Held on September 22, our team saw 19 patients in total. Historically, the Pendleton clinic has been held twice a year but will be increasing to three times starting next year.
Former Patient Gives Back
McMinnville Girl Scout Troop 10187 recently donated several boxes of children’s toys for our patients! One of the troop’s members, Olivia, is a former patient who was inspired to give back, so she and her troop raised $350 selling Girl Scout cookies and used that money to purchase gifts for our patients. Olivia received a similar gift when she had surgery at Shriners Children’s Portland a few years ago, and that gift made her feel less stressed about the surgery, so she wanted to pay it forward.
Dannie Adamson is a hospital van driver and comes to us from Al Kader. He worked for Tri-Met for over thirty years and then for a tour bus company, Moffit Brothers Transport. He enjoys meeting the families and kids at Shriners Children’s Portland.
Stay tuned to meet a new volunteer each month.
Patient Ambassador Kira recently represented Shriners Children’s Portland at the Shriners Children’s Open as a standard bearer! From meeting golf star Lexi Thompson, hanging out with fellow Shriners Children’s patient ambassadors, to enjoying the Las Vegas sun — Kira had the time of her life!
2023 Shriners Children’s Open Standard Bearers
